Ever After
by dormroomblogger
Summary: What would you do, what would you sacrifice to redo one decision in your life. Ludwig faces this question as he falls into a strange new world with no clear way of retuning home. This strange, fantastical world of toys and magic, is ruled by an evil Queen, Alice. And it seems like it's up to Ludwig to find the Porcelain Princess and save this world to return home. Human AU.
1. Chapter 1: Ever After

Ever After

Chapter 1: Ever After

Once upon a time, I used to romanticize. I used to be somebody…

You know what? No, never mind, my story isn't that important. I don't miss my old life that much now. You see, I used to live a normal life. I went to school, had friends, and was just a regular student. But, I was also a coward. I realize that now, I think it's sinking in, now there are days that I wondered where I'd been. Where my backbone and passion was. I realize where I was, wandering through life without any purpose. So many times I could have helped someone, in some way, and I just passed them by.

Now, like picture perfect porcelain, my life has been shattered in a million pieces, disrupted and turned upside down. I can't say I'm too upset about it though, at least it's more exciting than the life I was living.

Let me start from the beginning.

Friday, the day of freedom, where students eagerly look forward to the final bell and can go home for two days of pure blessed freedom before going back to the grindstone on Monday, it was the last class of the day, and I, like all the other kids, could not wait to leave the stuffy classroom for the June sunshine.

It was English class, my final class of the day. When the bell finally rang I took my time getting out of the classroom, not looking forward to being caught in the usual after school rush. My friend, Feliciano, rushed off as soon as the bell rang to put everything in his locker, if he took too long, his older brother would drive off home without him…again and he would be forced to sleepover at my house, which ended up annoying me when he crawled into my bed at 3 in the morning.

I was last out of the classroom, and winded my way through the quickly emptying hallways to my locker. Teenagers from all around the world laughed and pushed each other, joking around as they rejoiced at the start of another weekend. Hetalia High accepted only the best international students, and the clash of cultures often made for interesting interactions and misinterpretations.

"Jeez, what's wrong, Ivan," I overheard American student, Alfred Jones ask his friend, "You haven't smiled all day. What did I do?" Ivan merely gave Alfred a confused look, clearly wondering why one had to smile all the time in order to be happy.

I reached my locker and packed my bag slowly, letting everyone dissipate from the halls. My brother, Gilbert would most likely be hanging out with his friends, Francis and Antonio, I was happy to have the house to myself tonight. I could do my homework without listening to Gilbert's heavy rock music blaring in the background, ruining my concentration.

I walked toward the main exit of the building and brightly coloured poster I hadn't seen before caught my attention. In bright red letters it said, **Face the Music When it's Dire**. No other designs were on it, no advertisement for any sort of club, no sort of school dance announcement. What on Earth was 'face the music when it's dire' supposed to mean, anyway?

Shrugging, I continued on, but stopped as passed an empty classroom and heard a frightened, stuttering voice from within, "W-why do you keep doing t-this? W-what do you want f-f-from me?"

Against my better judgement, I peeked through the slightly open door. There was a girl pinned against the classroom chalkboard by the school's renowned bully, Alice Kirkland. The girl I recognized from my second period math class, it was Madeleine Williams, a small quiet blond haired Canadian girl who always sat at the back of the class. It looked like Alice was giving her a hard time.

Alice chuckled softly and said in her crisp English accent, "what do I want from you? Nothing, I'm just here to make sure you understand what a pathetic weakling you are. You can't even raise your hand to answer a question. I bet you're a closet fag who's poor as dirt." Alice removed her hands that were trapping Madeline against the chalkboard, drew a hand back and with a sharp _SMACK_ slapped the other girl across the face, Madeleine cried out in shock. Alice then proceeded to shove her to the ground.

"This is ridiculous, you won't even stand up for yourself, won't fight back, won't say anything against me," Alice hissed with a cruel smile, "You make this too easy. Your own brother doesn't care enough to help you." Madeleine shuddered from her position on the ground, tears already forming a pool beneath her, golden hair hiding her face. She took a shuddering breath and looked up, looked right at me, freezing me in place.

Her strangely vibrant violet eyes met my blue ones. Terror and desperation overwhelmed the purple orbs as they seemed to catch me, reeling me in to only become lost in their depths. They seemed to speak to me, enchanting me in a way words would never be able to. And they conveyed only one clear message: Help Me.

Noticing her victim's attention was elsewhere; Alice followed her gaze and sneered when she saw me peering awkwardly through the doorway. "Get lost Ludwig," she said coldly.

I hesitated, unsure of what to do. Save Madeleine and face Alice's wrath until the end of high school, or walk away and leave the problem to someone else? I quickly decided upon the latter, this wasn't my problem, and I wasn't some hero. Alfred, the loud brash American, was her twin brother, if she really wanted help, she could ask him. Alfred was always ready for a fight. It was not my place in the school pecking order to help out losers.

I settled for giving Alice a contemptuous look, and turned away. I swear I could feel Madeleine's searing, desperate gaze on my back as I walked away, practically imagine the look of hurt and resignation.

I walked away from the scene, and all the way home, I swore I could still feel those haunted eyes staring disbelievingly at the back of my head. Three blocks from my house I passed by a toyshop. By chance I glanced at the window. I froze, looking at the display in the window. Purple eyes, purple eyes of a porcelain doll were staring at me from the window. I stood for a second, staring at the beautiful doll, before tearing my eyes away and quickening my pace home. Unnerved, I avoided looking at any other shops or people for the rest of the journey.

That night, her violet eyes continued to haunt my thoughts. I couldn't get Madeleine's desperate expression out of my mind. At six in the morning, after only sleeping fitfully before jerking awake a few times, I couldn't stand it anymore, and got up for breakfast. Unsurprisingly, I found my ruffled brother sitting at the kitchen table, obviously only just come in from a night out. What was surprising was that he was staring at the kitchen television with surprising intensity.

Seeing me at the kitchen entrance, Gilbert said, "Ludwig, come look at this, did you know this girl? She was in your year, right?"

I stared at the screen as news reporter said, "It happened late last night, a 14 year old girl from Hetalia High was found dead in her room by her brother. Early police reports point to suicide. Her name was Madeleine Williams."

My heart stopped, the rest of the newscast faded into white noise as I stood there in shock. My mind whirled in panic, obliterating any form of thought. Again, I saw clearly, those purple eyes staring at me, disbelieving. I vaguely heard Gilbert call my name, from what seemed like very far away.

Panic continued to build inside, until it felt like a wall had formed in my chest, and I ran, ran out of the house, my breath suddenly loud in my ears, nearly hyperventilating. I pounded down street after street until my eyes blurred and I wondered if I was going to pass out.

_Could I have done something? Had I stepped in, said something, anything, would an innocent girl with golden hair and violet eyes still be alive. Oh god, what would happen to her brother? How could she do this to him? Why didn't she say anything?_

I stopped and brought a shaking hand to my face finding my fingers came away wet. I was crying. I couldn't see the sidewalk beneath my feet; all I could see were those violet eyes. I didn't know why I was reacting like this to the news, I didn't know Madeleine personally, and Alice had been her problem, not mine. Why did I feel like this, so, attached to the situation?

I looked up and was shocked to find myself outside the toy shop I had passed yesterday. Looking at the window, the porcelain doll was gone. I wiped my still streaming eyes and tried to master myself, my breathing, which was now coming in sharp gasps, master my trembling hands.

I entered the toyshop to find the beautiful doll.

Sunlight streamed across the floor as I opened the door, briefly illuminating the dark, dusty shop. Toys lined the walls, seemingly lonely and forgotten. Dust lined the walls and furniture, making my nose itch as I inhaled the musty air. I stepped further into the shop, the door swinging closed automatically behind me. Darkness enveloped the shop once more, and I paused, continuing to looking around.

Toy soldiers seemed broken and dull, marching in lines without any spirit. Toy trains lay silent and dormant, looking like they would never move again. Model planes hung from the ceiling, stopped in midflight, still and quiet. Near the centre of the shop, a throne with a queen sat upon a table, holding the centre of attention of the entire shop. It was the largest display, above all the other toys on surrounding tables, commanding, and dictatorial. Disheartened attendants with seemingly longing expressions stood around her. The queen herself was what I could only describe as cruel. A satisfied, smirking air seemed to hang around her as she sat proud, straight and tall on her thrown. Green eyes stared directly, defiantly at me as her dirty blonde hair hung in straight lines down her back. With a shiver down my back, I realized she looked startlingly like Alice, and I felt sick.

I continued past her and finally found the porcelain doll. Thick tears began to pour down my face again.

The doll, she was lying on the floor, broken, half her face missing, with only one purple eye left to stare at me. These eyes seem to convey a new message: how dare you fail, fail me now.

I wasn't sure how long I stood staring transfixed at the little broken doll, but my head snapped up suddenly as a wracking sob echoed through the desolate shop.

"H-hello?" I winched as my voice cracked, "Who's there?"

The sobbing continued as I followed the sound to a door at the back of the shop with a **Do Not Enter** sign on it. The sobbing was coming from the other side of the door.

I rapped softly on the door, "Hello? Are you alright?"

"Help me," came the soft voice and I jerked back. A vision Madeleine's eyes as she stared at me from the classroom floor yesterday afternoon seemed to flash in front of my eyes. It was that voice, it was _her voice_, but she had died last night, it was impossible. I grasped the door handle and went over my choices. I could get out of the shop and pretend it wasn't my problem, or I could open the door and find out if it was her, or if I was going insane.

I chose the latter.

Hastily, flinging open the door, I immediately tripped forward and fell on some… grass?


	2. Chapter 2: Haven't Had Enough

**Author's Note: Yeah, I changed the narrative perspective to third person. I found out while writing this chapter that I really hate writing in first person. Sorry for the confusion! Hopefully this chapter will also contain less out of character-ness. **

Chapter 2: Haven't Had Enough

_Once upon a time, I awoke in a strange place…_

Groaning, Ludwig pushed himself off the grassy ground, sat up, and looked around. Bewildered, he realized he was sitting atop a cliff over looking a vast land.

Heart now thumping wildly in his chest, Ludwig whirled around to look at the door he'd come through…only to find there was nothing there. Behind him there was only the beginnings of a forest. There wasn't a sign of anyone else around.

Stumbling to his feet, Ludwig looked over the edge of the cliff to the lands beyond. Sporadic forested areas criss-crossed a large land and off into the distance. Every so often, a village interrupted the forest. From Ludwig's perspective, they were as small as toy houses, looking almost surreal under the cloudy sky. Dominating the landscape seemed to be a factory, or Ludwig assumed it was, as smoke was emitting from tall chimney's that sat upon its towers. The dark and foreboding place seemed like a strange mix between a factory and a castle. It was an ominous presence in what looked like a once beautiful countryside. Many trees had lost their leaves, and some looked blackened and burnt, one village in the distance even had black, thick smoke rising from what appeared to be a very large fire.

"It was mine, once," a voice said just behind Ludwig.

Whirling around once more, someone had snuck up behind Ludwig while he observed the strange landscape. If the land was strange, it was nothing to the worn-out man now standing before Ludwig. Well, he wasn't a man. He was a toy, a full-sized very life-like toy. Ludwig took an alarmed step back, but the strange man- uh, _toy_, merely smiled.

"_Désolé_," he said with a thick French accent, "I did not mean to alarm you."

Looking past the other's rather plastic-like appearance, he had blond, wavy hair reaching his shoulders, which seemed dirty and tangled, blue sad eyes, and a thin, dirt-encrusted face. He wore clothes that might once had been fit for a king, but were now smeared with dirt, torn, unkempt, and faded.

Even more alarmed now, Ludwig realized he looked shockingly like Francis, a French student from Hetalia High. However, where Francis had been well kept and held himself with a dignified show-offish air, there toy-person here seemed forgotten and broken.

The toy's smile turned from gentle to a joking grin, "it is rude to stare you know. But once upon a time I would understand, I used to be quite handsome, but now…" he sighed as he looked down at his own bedraggled appearance. The toy did not finish his sentence but merely joined Ludwig where he stood, and looked longingly over the ruined country.

"What's happening? Where am I? Who are you?" Ludwig asked.

The toy chuckled and replied, "I used to be the king of this land, I was King Francis." _Oh great, he even shares the same name of the one I know, _Ludwig thought shrewdly. King Francis gestured to the land, "But now I am the outcast king, overthrown by a heartless Queen. But, enough about _moi_, what is your name, strange traveler?"

Apparently he didn't know Ludwig, had forgotten, or was pretending not to know him. "Ludwig."

"Well Ludwig, have you ever wanted to go back to the beginning, start something over?"

Madeline's tear-stained face seemed to swim before Ludwig's eyes again, he felt dizzy, "Ja."

The Outcast King chuckled again. "You and I might not be the best thing then," he seemed to say more to himself than Ludwig.

"Look, I just need to find my way home. Can you help me?" Ludwig snapped.

"Ah, you can't leave us yet!" Francis exclaimed, losing his formal air, "I need your help!"

"No offense, but I really don't want to help you," Ludwig said flatly, he didn't need to do anything for this ridiculous king.

"Fine, if you won't help me, then help my daughter!"

"Why can't you do it?"

King Francis huffed, clearly upset, "Does it look like I'm in any condition to be going anywhere? My face paint is practically scrapped off!" He had a point there. "Find my daughter, and you'll find your way home."

Ludwig frowned, "How does finding her help me get home?"

"I'll tell you only if you promise to do everything you can for her before you leave!" King Francis' demeanour had changed completely. He must've been desperate, begging for a stranger's help.

Ludwig hesitated, and then said, "All right, _ich verspreche_, I'll try to do what I can. What happened to her?"

"Ah! _Vraiment? Merci! Merci beaucoup!_ Yes, my poor daughter, the Porcelain Princess, had her heart taken by the evil queen who took away my own kingdom, the Heartless Queen Alice!"

My breath caught in my throat, was there a twisted toy-version of Alice here as well?

"Queen Alice took my beloved daughter's heart and locked it in a box, then casted her out of the kingdom. Now Alice lives in the tower above the toy factory," Francis pointed towards the ominous building in the distance, "there, she creates more toy soldiers for her army. Et j'ai peur, no one has seen my Porcelain daughter in a very long time."

"W-when you say porcelain," Ludwig said hesitantly. He reached out a slightly trembling hand and tapped the king's cheek. A soft plinking sound emitted, _he was completely plastic_.

The toy grinned again, "my daughter used to be like you before her heart was stolen, soft and pliable, not at all like a toy." At my blank stare he continued, "she's adopted."

Ludwig shook his head and let out a frustrated sigh, "You still haven't explained how I get home."

"I'm getting there, _ta gueule_, let me finish my story! In her box, Alice keeps everything she has stolen, including the doorway that will lead you home. The key to this box, however, is split into two halves. That is why you must find the princess, she has one half."

"Then where's the other half?"

"Does it look like I know?" _Well that's really helpful,_ Ludwig thought irritably. "Find Porcelain and the other half of the key, get the two halves of the key to the factory throne room, unlock the box, and you will be on your way home."

The King looked back at the toy factory in the distance and added softly, "I have been stuck here so long, only for the crime of getting the beginning wrong. One more last try, and this time, I _will_ get the ending right.

"You are my second chance," he said, looking back at Ludwig, "We'll get it right this time, you and me," with a knowing look in his eye, he continued, "this is your last chance to fix what you did wrong, _aussi,_ you know." He gave another sad chuckle, "You and I might yet be the best thing."

Ludwig really had no idea what the king was on about now. King Francis seemed vain, full of himself, and rather snappish. Though, he supposed he really had no other choice but to take Francis's advice for the moment and look for this Porcelain.

"_Na gut_, anything else I need to know?"

"Nope! That just about sums it up. _Bonne chance!_" King Francis gestured to a narrow dirt path that seemed to lead down the cliff-side.

"Good riddance, I've already had enough of this place," Ludwig muttered as he started off, quite relieved to be leaving the overbearing presence of the toy king.

"I disagree, _mon ami_, you definitely haven't had enough." Francis called after Ludwig with a friendly smile, waving his hand in farewell.

**Translations:**

_**Ich verspreche = I promise (German)**_

_**Vraiment? Merci! Merci beaucoup! = Truly? Thank you! Thank you very much! (French)**_

_**Et j'ai peur = And I'm afraid (French)**_

_**Ta gueule = Shut up/Shut your gob (French)**_

_**Na gut = Fair enough (German)**_


End file.
